Wonderful Days in Jekyll Island, Ga

We just got back from the first vacation we have had in 7 years and it was fabulous..I wish we could have had more time to spend but with so many animals at home it's hard to leave for more than two days. It was Katie's first real beach trip, first time experiencing the ocean. She was so excited she was screaming! Everyone on the beach was amazed at her excitement and was just thrilled to watch her enjoy the waves. All she wanted to do was either swim in the pool or play in the ocean water.. but I guess when you are 6, thats what you like the most! LOL

There was so much to see and do, that two days were by no means enough. Keith and I could have spent a week just walking around checking out all of the historical stuff, which was of no interest to Katie, being 6, so I guess we will have to go by ourselves one day.

I will post a few pictures later")

Friendships

"Friendship is the cooperative and supportive relationship between people."

I've been assessing my friendships lately and it's a sad, cold hard fact that my best friends are people whom I have never met face to face. Even though I have never met them, I know in my heart that I can count on them for anything that they could possibly do and they are always there.

While I have a lot of friends that I speak to periodically, I don't have a lot that I hang out with on a daily basis. I really only had one close by that I spoke to and hung out with. Notice, this paragraph is in past tense. I had to make a hard decision to let a friendship go. I finally came to the realization that it was not a healthy one, for me or for Katie. I think the hardest part was breaking the tie for her.

It takes a while for me to make really good, close friends. I don't air my dirty laundry to just anyone. Now comes the question~ Can a person be truly happy without a close friend to hang out with and do things with?

I don't know, I guess only time will tell.

It's a cold hard fact of life~ friendships come and go.. Seems the ones you really thought you could count on turn out to be the ones you really cant.

As one month rolls out, a new one rolls in...

I just realized that I haven't blogged almost all month. It's been a busy month for me. Most of the month has been spent raising a litter of 9 chocolate lab pups - more work than one woman can handle, I can tell you that. I'm down to 3 now and its still a handful.

I've recently re-joined the gym in efforts to improve my health and lose some weight. I've had some health issues that I have dealt with for months now and I'm finally to a point to where something has got to change. More than likely that will be something I will NOT blog about as I find it seems to hinder my progress.. Not sure why, but it does. Maybe it reminds me that progress is not coming as quickly as I would like or hope..

Spring is right around the corner~ I am so ready for it. I would really like to get my house super clean and decluttered so I can enjoy the new season. I have so much junk just piled up and it drives me bonkers. Speaking of housework, that is what I need to be doing.. LOL

"But you are at home all day"

I swear if I hear this phrase one more time I will explode into a million pieces and melt into the cracks of the wood planks to never be seen again! (If it were only that easy)

I quit a very good job in a law office to stay at home and raise my daughter. It just amazes me at the expectations people have of you when you don't work outside the home. No one can ever realize what staying at home is really about until you do it. The average working person thinks of it as a vacation~ sleeping in late, lounging all day and reading, watching TV, surfing the net, etc. I will be the first one to tell you IT IS NOT! I work twice as hard here at home just trying to keep things in order and keep the peace.

First thing you always hear~ "Why isn't the house in tip-top shape?" Well, not only are you home, all day, making messes, it seems that everyone else in the household gets lazy bones. They start thinking, well, I don't need to pick that up, she is home all day, she will get it. I spend 30% of my day picking up the same stuff every single day! How can you get anything done if you are constantly doing the same things, over and over and over.

Gosh, I could go on and on, but I think I will stop right here for now..

In closing, if you are one of those lazy bones, the ones who take advantage, think twice about it. Not only will you be happier in the long run, so will mama. Like the ole saying goes "If mama ain't happy, NO one is happy~"

Originality

Originality ~ the power of independent thought or constructive imagination

Being original is what makes each of us who we are. Sad that there are so many people in the world that are lacking in this area. They mimic and copy others and for what? Are they afraid of who they are or how they will appear to others? Is their self esteem so low that they feel like they have to be like someone else in order to have friends?

Bad Attitudes

Attitude is the crayon that colors your world.

To me there is nothing worse than being around someone who has a bad attitude all the time. It brings me down. I hate it. I know that things are rough on alot of people right now, but when you constantly complain or put others down it rains on my parade. And frankly, I have had enough rain.

Gaining Approval

Approval - What is it? What does it mean to you? Do you strive to achieve it?

While many of us will say, no, I do not care if anyone approves of what I do, what I say, or how I look, we all know deep down inside we do. Saying and acting like you don't care is just a smoke screen that you use to hide your vulnerablities. At one point in your life you find yourself changing, hiding the querks, just to gain approval from friends, relatives or everyday people we encounter. But when do you realize that you have gone too far? That you are becoming a person that you truly are not?

“Lean too much on the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns”